For years, if you tuned into a podcast, the voice streaming through your headphones would most likely belong to a man. In fact, in February 2013, men hosted 70 percent of the world’s 100 most popular podcasts. Thank God in 2020 we have access to a few more female voices who are using their diverse areas of expertise and points of view to inspire, inform and entertain us.
Below are twelve podcasts, all hosted by women, that are challenging the status quo by bringing their audiences niche stories and fresh perspectives with a female focus. Just hearing their stories, engaging in their conversations and interacting with their content can make the world feel a lot less male-centric, which is a change we welcome.
1. Love Stories
Love stories is hosted by the enchanting London based journalist and author Dolly Alderton, a Carrie Bradshaw type who started her career writing a weekly dating column in the Sunday Times Style magazine. A hopeless and hapless romantic, in her podcast Dolly talks to guests about their most defining relationships and how they have helped shape who they are. Conversations with celebrities like Lily Allen and Marian Keyes are refreshingly raw and witty. The result is a podcast that does not shy away from the fact that human relationships are the best and hardest part of life. We can’t recommend it enough.
2. Finding Fearless
Finding Fearless is maire claire Australia’s foray into the world of podcasts, with a focus on inspiring, trailblazing women. At marie claire, presenting stories of women who have faced adversity and overcome the odds is all in a days work, but it’s been a welcome challenge to do this in a new an exciting way. With guests like Drew Barrymore, Jesinta Franklin and Julie Bishop this podcast will give you a big dose of inspiration that will keep you motivated during the working week.
3. Table Manners with Jessie Ware
Uncork, plug in, and get ready to unwind with Jessie Ware and her mum Lennie who host a podcast about food, family, and the beautiful art of having a chat. Direct from their very own dinner table, each week guests from the worlds of music, culture and politics drop by for a bite and heart-to-heart with our hosts. The wine and conversation flow freely with no topic out of bounds, making you wish you were there; nestled around the table in Jessie’s London home, tucking into a dish and delivering your own food and family-related anecdotes. Since 2017 guests like Sam Smith have brought their own magic to each episode while the mother/daughter relationship at the heart of the podcast makes for utterly entertaining listening.
4. Pardon My French
Pardon My French is a podcast hosted by Garance Doré, founder of the eponymous website, author of the New York Times best-selling book Love Style Life, and CFDA award-winning writer, illustrator and photographer.In this podcast Doré trades stories with her celebrity guests in a relaxed and open conversation. Garance brings a French eye (and accent), with an unabashed sense of humour and authenticity. A great podcast to plug in when you want to inject more creative thought into your day.
5. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven’t gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures have taught them. Hosted by the warm, charming and intelligent Elizabeth Day it is so refreshing to see successful people speak about their failures with such honesty. Day invites interviewees and listeners alike to reflect on why some failures are more painful than others and why they ultimately are an important and unavoidable part of life. The notion that failure is something to celebrate is as comforting as it is uplifting.
6. Fashion No Filter
Fashion No Filter has tasked itself with the hefty challenge of making the fashion industry accessible while simultaneously presenting it as a rich field of talent that doesn’t deserve its futile reputation. each episode, hosts Monica Aignley and Camille Charirer explore a subject inherent to the fashion industry. There is a sense that our hosts are taking us behind the scenes, with interviews taking place backstage at fashion shows and in designer’s ateliers. Even though Monica and Camille love fashion they remain impartial and critical, placing a focus on educating audiences to make their own assessments.
7. The High Low
Created by British journalists Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes, The High Low is a news and pop culture podcast, covering everything from politics (the high brow) to Love Island (the low brow). Pandora and Dolly’s friendship, witty back and forth banter and quirks make The High Low an unmissable weekly listen.
8. Dear Joan and Jericha
The satirical podcast from British comedians Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine, who play agony aunts Joan Damry and Jericha Domain with an incredibly diverse background in “life coaching, female sexual health, psycho-genital counselling and sports journalism”. Over the course of their 20-minute episodes, the pair dish out absurd and downright dark advice to people’s real life problems.
9. The Guilty Feminist
The Guilty Feminist is a ‘feminist-comedy’ podcast hosted by Deborah Frances-White. Created by Frances-White and Sofie Hagen in 2015, the podcast features guests on a panel to discuss topics on and related to feminism, all recorded in front of a live studio audience. Each episode begins with short stories starting with the words “I’m a feminist, but…”, with the 45-minute episode’s host and guests admitting to moments where they have done or thought something that an ideal feminist wouldn’t.
10. That Beauty Podcast
That Beauty Podcast, founded by two of Australia’s leading beauty editors Carli Alman and Bettina Tyrrell, is your go-to guide for all things beauty. On top of sharing their beauty expertise with listeners, the two also give advice and honest reviews to their online community via Instagram.
11. Pretty Big Deal
Supermodel, style icon and all round barrier-breaking body activist Ashley Graham sits down with brilliant, inspiring and honest guests about what makes them a “Pretty Big Deal”. Guests have included Kim Kardashian, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Elaine Welteroth.
12. KIC Pod
Hosted by Keep It Cleaner founders Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw, the KIC podcast is a weekly dive into the “stuff that matters”. On top of motivating thousands over the world to live a happier and healthier life, the two hosts aren’t afraid to get down to the nitty gritty with their guests – who have included Maddison Brown, Robyn Lawley and Elle Ferguson.
